Wales Squad Worth Less Than Half That Of Turkey’s As Pair Face Off In Nations League

Wales host Turkey in Cardiff in the Nations League on Friday night, with a squad worth less than half that of their opponents.

The international break sees UEFA Nations League fixtures back on our screens, with Wales and Turkey facing off in Group 4 this week.

Wales will be looking to move on from the disappointment of missing out on Euro 2024, after their agonising playoff defeat to Poland on penalties.

Turkey meanwhile gave a strong account of themselves over the summer. They made it to the quarter-finals before eventually losing 2-1 to the Netherlands.

New Wales boss Craig Bellamy unveiled his first squad last week. It included a first call-up for Leeds United goalkeeper Karl Darlow.

Veteran Aaron Ramsey retains the captain’s armband, while 18-year-old Liverpool youngster Lewis Koumas also made the squad.

For Turkey, familiar names include ex-Leicester City defender Çağlar Söyüncü and Manchester United’s Altay Bayındır.

Those who watched the Euros in June will also know to keep an eye out for Arda Güler. The Real Madrid rising star lit up the tournament, scoring against Georgia and assisting goals in both the last-16 and quarter-finals.

Unforgettable moment. 🇹🇷❤️ pic.twitter.com/eGwfX6l5Xz

— Arda Güler HQ (@iHQGuler) September 4, 2024

And it’s superstar quality like the 19-year-old’s which has Turkey’s squad value at more than double their Welsh counterpart’s.

Looking at the squad values for both Wales and Turkey, Craig Bellamy’s Dragons are certainly the underdogs.

Since the retirement of Gareth Bale, they have lacked a real global star at the top level of world football.

Currently, Tottenham’s Brennan Johnson is their most valuable player, at around £40m.

Turkey’s most expensive players, Güler and Hakan Çalhanoğlu, both have a similar value, but the overall squad is worth far more than Wales’.

Below, we have used data collected from Transfermarkt to provide full squad values for Wales and Turkey ahead of Friday’s game.

Wales vs Turkey Squad Values Compared

Wales Squad Value

Goalkeepers: Danny Ward (£1.5m), Adam Davies (£400k), Karl Darlow (£300k)

Defenders: Ben Davies (£8.5m), Ben Cabango (£7.7m), Joe Rodon (£6.8m), Chris Mepham (£5.1m), Owen Beck (£1.1m), Neco Williams (£14.5m), Connor Roberts (£6.0m)

Midfielders: Ethan Ampadu (£13.6m), Charlie Crew (£200k), Jordan James (£.8m), Aaron Ramsey (£900k), Josh Sheehan (£300k), Oliver Cooper (£2.6m), Rubin Colwill (£1.0m)

Forwards: Lewis Koumas (£900k), Brennan Johnson (£40.8m), Harry Wilson (£14.5m), Sorba Thomas (£3.6m), Kieffer Moore (£1.7m), Liam Cullen (£1.0m), Mark Harris (£600k)

Total Squad Value: £137.1 million

Turkey Squad Value

Goalkeepers: Altay Bayındır (£8.5m), Uğurcan Çakır (£6.8m), Muhammed Şengezer (£1.4m), Mert Günok (£1.0m)

Defenders: Merih Demiral (£13.6m), Çağlar Söyüncü (£8.5m), Abdülkerim Bardakcı (£7.7m), Kaan Ayhan (£4.0m), Emirhan Topçu (£3.7m), Samet Akaydin (£2.1m), Eren Elmalı (£3.4m), Yusuf Özdemir (£1.7m), Zeki Çelik (£5.1m), Mert Müldür (£5.1m)

Midfielders: Hakan Çalhanoğlu (£38.3m), İsmail Yüksek (£10.2m), Salih Özcan (£8.5m), Okay Yokuşlu (£2.6m), Orkun Kökçü (£23.0m), Can Uzun (£10.2m)

Forwards: Kerem Aktürkoğlu (£12.8m), Semih Kılıçsoy (£10.2m), Arda  (£38.3m), Barış Alper Yılmaz (£17.0m), Eren Dinkçi (£10.2m), İrfan Can Kahveci (£8.5m), Kenan Yıldız (£25.5m), Umut Nayir (£800k), Mustafa Hekimoğlu (£300k)

Total Squad Value: £288.7 million